[Shoton Festival and Thangka Unveiling] 9-Day Prayer Journey to Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake, Shigatse, and Everest

After landing, the staff will welcome you with the warmest smiles on the plateau and that touch of plateau red. Having just arrived on the plateau, what you need most is to slow down your steps and relax your mood. We will take you to the hotel for a full rest, letting your body slowly adapt to the plateau atmosphere. Tashi Delek!! Lhasa means "holy land" or "land of Buddha" in Tibetan. It is the holy city in the hearts of Tibetan people and also a paradise in the hearts of travelers. With the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, Lhasa is no longer out of reach. Bustle and crowds are not Lhasa's true appearance. Let us explore its mysterious charm together. [Warm Tips] 1. Since you need to get up early the next morning to attend the Buddha Thangka Unveiling Ceremony at Drepung Monastery, it is recommended to book a flight arriving in Lhasa in the morning of that day. You need to rest well that day to conserve energy. 2. Altitude sickness: Do not do strenuous exercise on the day you arrive in Lhasa, and do not take a shower that night to prevent catching a cold. Do not drink alcohol. Drink more water and eat fruit, and do not overeat. Rest more. You may bring American ginseng lozenges or health medicines such as Rhodiola and Gao Yuan An to relieve altitude sickness. Follow the arrangements of the travel agency staff and guide, try not to go out for activities, and maintaining a calm mindset and sufficient rest is the best way to prevent altitude sickness. If you feel unwell, go to the hospital promptly for treatment.

【Jokhang Temple】(visit about 1 hour) The Jokhang Temple blends Tibetan, Tang, Nepalese, and Indian architectural styles, becoming an enduring classic of Tibetan religious architecture. Incense smoke curls in front of the temple all day long, and the devout prostrations of believers have left deep imprints of full-body prostration on the bluestone floor before the gate. Tens of thousands of butter lamps burn continuously, leaving traces of time and pilgrims. Here, worship of the gods continues day and night. Jokhang Temple Ticket Booking Instructions Jokhang Temple tickets require a real-name reservation. Every day from 7:00 to 23:59, tickets for the next day's visit are released on the mini-program "Jokhang Temple Reservation," until the reservation quota is full. Therefore, tickets need to be reserved 1 day in advance. Please make the reservation under the guide's instruction. The Jokhang Temple is a religious temple rather than a purely tourist attraction. If it cannot be opened for visits due to special circumstances such as important religious activities, your understanding is appreciated. 【Tibetan Culture Experience】 When in Lhasa, you can still experience traditional Tibetan handicrafts (making Tibetan incense, woodblock printing, and learning about Tibetan script). Go to the Tibetan Culture Experience Center to learn how refreshing Tibetan incense is made, and you can also participate in making it by hand, which is completely different in meaning from buying Tibetan incense. A knowledgeable teacher will introduce the origins of Tibetan script and help you write Tibetan blessings or your own Tibetan name. At the same time, you can also experience traditional woodblock printing. The Tibetan incense you make by hand, the prints, and the Tibetan calligraphy written by the teacher can all be taken home as souvenirs of this trip to Tibet.

【Drepung Monastery】- The highlight of the Buddha Thangka Unveiling Every year during the Shoton Festival, the Buddha thangka unveiling ceremony at Drepung Monastery attracts worldwide attention. Before dawn, believers from all places, with devout hearts, surge toward Drepung Monastery like a tide. Holding prayer wheels and murmuring scriptures, they move toward the holy site in their hearts. When the dawn first appears, Buddhist chants curl through Drepung Monastery. Monks dressed in crimson robes solemnly and reverently slowly carry the giant Shakyamuni Buddha thangka out from the monastery's treasure room. This thangka is exquisitely crafted, and its colors remain bright and moving despite the passage of time. Every stroke embodies the craftsmen's hard work and faith. At the command, the monks pull the ropes together, and the Buddha thangka slowly unfolds along the steep cliff behind the monastery. People of different ages gather here at this moment because of faith, jointly praying for favorable weather, lasting blessings, and smooth lives. The Buddha thangka unveiling at Drepung Monastery during the Shoton Festival is not only a religious ceremony but also a vivid manifestation of Tibetan cultural inheritance and national spiritual cohesion, deeply imprinted in the hearts of every participant. 【Sera Monastery】 As one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, it is also collectively known with Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery as the three great monasteries of Lhasa. The monastery preserves tens of thousands of Vajra Buddha statues, among which the most famous statue, the "Hayagriva" Vajra statue, is located in the protector deity hall of the Jizha Tratsang. Local people put their heads into a small shrine and touch the base of the statue with their heads. Apart from the solemnity of the monastery, Sera Monastery also has another major feature, namely the debating activities of the monks in the monastery. In the center of the debate courtyard, monks are debating knowledge. Some use powerful clapping to urge the other side to answer, and some pull prayer beads, relying on the power of the beads to defeat the opponent. Standing in the debate courtyard, you are immersed in lively sounds. Although tourists cannot understand their Zen meaning, they can truly feel the faith and power of Tibetan Buddhism. The debate time generally starts at 15:00 in the afternoon. On Sundays, or when the monastery temporarily holds dharma assemblies or receives special guests, the debate activities may be canceled. Please understand!!!

[Potala Palace] (visit limited to 1 hour) Songtsen Gampo spent half his life conquering Tubo and the other half building magnificent palaces and temples. Wander among the golden Buddhist halls, stupas, living quarters, and corridors, with dim lights, low curtains, and the scent of butter pervading everywhere, as if falling into an ancient dream, involuntarily lost in scriptures, Buddha statues, murals, and distant legends. [Norbulingka] As the summer palace and administrative center of the Dalai Lamas, Norbulingka was first built in the 1740s by the 7th Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso. After over 200 years of expansion, the entire garden covers 360,000 square meters, making it the largest, most scenic, and most historic man-made garden in Tibet. It was not only the summer office and meeting place for successive Dalai Lamas with monks and lay officials but also holds rich historical, cultural, and artistic value. The garden contains over 100 plant species, including common flowers and trees of the Lhasa region, rare flowers from both sides of the Himalayas, and precious flowers introduced from inland China and abroad, truly a plateau botanical garden. Norbulingka has gates on all four sides, with the main gate on the east. Kangsang Siling is the most prominent building on the front, originally a Han-style wooden pavilion, later converted into an opera viewing tower, with an open area added to the east for performances, exclusively for the Dalai Lama to watch opera. Next to it is the Tsabuden Lhakhang, a place for religious rituals. During the Shoton Festival, the traditional eight major Tibetan operas are performed in turn, with actors wearing colorful masks to perform classic Tibetan opera repertoire, accompanied by drums and cymbals and Tibetan song and dance, showcasing intangible cultural heritage charm. Warm Tip: A special meal is included that day: Lhasa specialty welcome meal (Tibetan or Nepalese cuisine).

After departure, the route along the way is the Yarlung Tsangpo River valley, and you can overlook the Yarlung Tsangpo. The Yarlung Tsangpo River along Provincial Highway 101 is the widest river surface near Lhasa. Follow the Yarlung Tsangpo River valley into Provincial Highway 307 and drive to the mountainside to overlook the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The view is vast, magnificent and beautiful. [Gampala Mountain] The best angle to see the most beautiful side of Yamdrok Lake. The bluest sky and the bluest lake are all here. Here, you will understand what "tears of angels in heaven, the blue of Yamdrok on earth" means, but many photographers also say: "No matter how many times you photograph Yamdrok Lake, you cannot capture her beauty..." Many Tibetans on Gampala Mountain offer yaks for photos. Please agree on the price first to avoid unnecessary trouble. [Yamdrok Lake] A freshwater lake and one of the three great sacred lakes of Tibet. The lake water is as clear as mutton fat, and the lake water is sweet and drinkable. The deep blue lake water merges with the distant snow mountains, plus the colorful mountain ranges on both banks, the highly distinctive Tibetan villages, and the cattle and sheep everywhere. Along the way, you feel relaxed and joyful. Yamdrok Lake has a water area of 638 square kilometers, a lake surface altitude of 4,441 meters, and a shoreline of 250 kilometers. This lake is also considered to be a turquoise ear string dropped to the mortal world by a goddess. Standing at the top of Gampala Mountain at 4,950 meters above sea level and looking south, Yamdrok Lake is like a sapphire inlaid among the peaks, and the blue lake water is as smooth as a mirror, clearly blue against the sky. At noon, you will take a short rest in the viewing restaurant of the Yamdrok Lake View Hotel by the shore of Yamdrok Lake, and enjoy the rich and delicious Yamdrok Lake-view mini hot pot specially arranged by us. [Karo La Glacier] One of the three major continental glaciers in Tibet. The glacier is backed by Mount Noijin Kangsang, one of the four major peaks of Tibet. The huge glacier extends from the misty clouds at the top of the mountain all the way to the roadside only a few hundred meters from the highway. Although due to the long-term influence of dust from the highway, the glacier as a whole shows black-and-white layers, the upper part of the glacier under the sunlight is like a giant thangka hanging on the mountain wall, shining brightly. It became famous because the films "Red River Valley," "The Battle of Gyantse," and "The Road Home" were shot here for exterior scenes. That night, stay in Shigatse. Shigatse means "the best manor" in Tibetan and is one of the "granaries of Tibet." It was historically the political, religious and cultural center of Tsang, and also the seat of successive Panchen Lamas. It has a history of more than 500 years and is currently the second-largest city in Tibet. [Warm Tips] 1. In addition to the Tibet Travel Permit, foreign tourists traveling to Mount Everest in the same vehicle need to uniformly apply for a travel permit in Shigatse. The guide will reasonably adjust and arrange the itinerary according to the processing status of the travel permit. Please follow the guide's arrangements and cooperate actively. 2. If there is an occasional system failure or a surge in tourist numbers during peak season causing long queues and a long time for travel permit processing, please understand.

【Mount Everest】 Travel along the most beautiful border highway and view the magnificent snow mountains. Along the way, you can gaze into the distance at the world's third-highest peak, Kangchenjunga, the world's fourth-highest peak, Lhotse, and Jomari Snow Mountain. Mount Everest, at an altitude of 8,848 meters, is the world's highest peak, located on the China-Nepal border in the central section of the Himalayas. The summit is covered with snow all year round. From afar, glaciers hang suspended and silver peaks tower high, creating an incomparably strange and spectacular scene. 【Everest Viewing Platform】 The Mount Everest viewing platform is located 22 kilometers along Everest Road in Tingri County, Shigatse. This is the necessary route to Everest Base Camp. The viewing platform reaches an altitude of 5,200 meters. Looking south from here, you can see Mount Everest and other snow mountains as high as 8,000 meters. 【Rongbuk Monastery】 Rongbuk Monastery is at an altitude of about 5,100 meters. The terrain is high, steep, and cold, and the scenery is superb. The new Everest Base Camp is nearby. If you are lucky, you can also see the Everest banner cloud drifting like the fire of life. 【Warm Tips】 1. Accommodation is in tents at Everest Base Camp (8-15 people per tent, multi-person dormitory beds, public restrooms, limited conditions): generally still fairly clean and tidy, but there is a big gap compared with hotels in the city. Your understanding is appreciated. From October to April of the following year, due to cold weather, the tents will be withdrawn from Everest Base Camp, and accommodation will instead be at guesthouses in villages near Everest. 2. Food and accommodation on that day are relatively poor, the altitude is high, and the temperature is low. Please pay attention to keeping warm. Pay attention to safety and prevent altitude sickness. In summer, nighttime temperatures are around 0-8 degrees Celsius. Please bring warm clothing, and you can also rent a down jacket at Base Camp for warmth.

【Viewing the Sunrise at Mount Everest】 In the morning, be sure to dress fully equipped. Before sunrise, the temperature at the pass can reach below 0 degrees, plus strong winds, so please be sure to prepare warm clothing. Standing at the top of the earth, facing the sunlight and looking up at Mount Everest, the summit is covered with snow year-round. In the distance, glaciers hang and silver peaks tower, a scene of holiness. Photograph the scene at sunrise at Mount Everest (the shooting effect depends on the weather). Warm tip: Whether you can see the sunrise at Mount Everest is subject to weather and actual tour conditions. Please understand. 【Gyatso La Pass】 Gyatso La Mountain is the necessary route to Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. The pass is at an altitude of 5252 meters, the highest point on the China-Nepal Highway. If the weather is clear, standing at Gyatso La Pass you can gaze at Mount Everest in the distance, and also view Cho Oyu, Lhotse, and Makalu.

[Tashilhunpo Monastery] (about 1 hour visit) Tashilhunpo Monastery, also known as "Auspicious Sumeru Temple," is the largest monastery in Shigatse. Along with Drepung, Sera, and Ganden Monasteries in Lhasa, and Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai and Labrang Monastery in Gansu, it is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school. It was founded in 1447 by Gendun Drup, the 1st Dalai Lama and a disciple of Tsongkhapa. At its peak, Tashilhunpo had over 3,000 rooms, more than 5,000 monks, over 50 subordinate monasteries, and more than 30 manors and pastures. From the 4th Panchen Lama onward, all subsequent Panchen Lamas have resided here. The current Tashilhunpo Monastery has 4 colleges, 56 assembly halls, over 3,600 rooms, more than 800 monks, and covers a total area of 300,000 square meters. Highlights 1. Known as the pride of Tsang, it is the residence of successive Panchen Lamas and the largest monastery in the Tsang region, collectively known as one of the four great monasteries of Tibet along with the three major monasteries in Lhasa. 2. The Maitreya Buddha Hall houses a bronze statue, using 231,400 jin of brass and 6,700 taels of gold. Just for the eyebrows of the Buddha statue, over 1,400 diamonds and pearls of various sizes were used. 3. The monastery enshrines exquisitely crafted stupas of the Panchen Lamas, using countless materials such as gold, silver, copper, silk, coral, pearls, agate, and turquoise. Warm Tip: On that day, returning from Shigatse to Lhasa may be by tour bus or train, depending on the travel agency's specific arrangements. Specific requests cannot be accepted. Please understand.

After breakfast, arrange airport or station drop-off according to flight time, ending the pleasant journey. The city center is about a 1-hour drive from the airport. It is recommended to arrange a flight after 10 o'clock, which is more suitable.